The present invention relates generally to construction devices, and more specifically, to an apparatus for laying out a building foundation.
It is well known in the art to use lasers for construction measurement and alignment operations. Specifically, laser beam generators have been used as leveling devices by providing a reference line for a variety of construction related tasks that include, for example, surveying and pipe laying. Essentially, the leveled beam is deflected to a desired location, thereby allowing the marking of a construction line or the installation of a specific part, for example, to be accurately achieved. For example, a laser has been used to project a line on a large pipe which is in alignment with other measuring tools, such as an alignment guide pin, then the projected line is manually chalked on the pipe by a technician and the pipe is cut in any conventional manner.
Laser beams have also been used as a reference line for tunneling, irrigation work, alignment of railroad tracks and other applications, such as vehicle body manufacturing. In this regard, great benefit has been achieved by incorporating the use of laser beam references into such construction operations, especially those which require a high degree of accuracy. For example, leveling devices formerly used in surveying involved the use of imprecise surveying instruments and a great deal of human effort and time in order to properly position the device, mark a construction line or area, and/or install a part.
Although laser beam generators have been used in various building construction applications (as the foregoing explains), they have not been used in laying out a building foundation. Rather, technicians and construction workers manually lay out a building foundation, using conventional, often crude measuring tools and markers for indicating such layout. As a result, laying out an accurate building foundation and using such conventional measuring devices and methodologies involves a great deal of time and effort, for such devices are highly inaccurate. Moreover, in light of such time necessary to properly lay out such a building foundation accurately, the cost involved in such work is high and the process is not very efficient.